Industry Representatives Engage with City on Building Decarbonization

Travel Lane County board, staff, and members recently met with City of Eugene sustainability staff for a focus group to discuss potential ways to reduce emissions, or decarbonize, commercial buildings. City staff are in the process of recruiting representatives from various sectors for more focus groups scheduled in February and March. This feedback will be used to shape recommendations that get presented to City Council in June. Interested individuals can RSVP for focus groups here.

We appreciated the City’s approach to this conversation. The move to frame the discussion around decarbonization and away from electrification was welcomed by our hospitality sector representatives because it is a more holistic approach to reducing emissions. Clean energy investments, energy efficiency measures and electrification are all considered and this provides more tools for businesses to adopt and be a part of the solution.

The group noted several key points, including:

• All plans and programs need to be strongly rooted in a triple bottom line analysis and not solely on the environment. 
• Utilizing incentive strategies, like what has been done with the change to LED lighting and the adoption of recycling programs, will provide for greater acceptance and participation by the business community.
• Most hospitality businesses operate on small margins and when buying equipment often look for used equipment options. This issue is exacerbated by a lack of access to commercial financing. Because of these factors, expecting businesses to electrify when equipment wears out may not be realistic.
• Many businesses that thrive in our region, such as breweries, don't have viable alternatives to using natural gas. 

We appreciate the City staff for reaching out to engage our industry and encourage you to join one of their upcoming focus groups. We look forward to additional opportunities to offer feedback. For more information visit the City of Eugene’s website on Efficient, Healthy and Resilient Buildings. 

Matthew Packwood 

Ian Madin

Jesse Beers

Join Us at Oregon Origins II: Seven Wonders

Head to the Florence Events Center on Friday, February 9 for a 7 p.m. presentation of the Oregon Origins Projects II: Seven Wonders. This FREE event  is a captivating music exploration into the ancient roots of the state of Oregon, led by Matthew Packwood, director of the Oregon Origins Project and composer of the evening's featured composition. Join Packwood and a string quartet for a performance of "Oregon Origins: Seven Wonders", a musical journey through Oregon’s wild places — from Steens Mountain to the Oregon Dunes, and many stops in between.

The musical segment will be followed by an enlightening geological presentation by geologist Ian Madin. Attendees will then be treated to "An introduction to the lands and history of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians" by Jesse Beers and Patricia Whereat Phillips, culture bearers of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians.

Make it a staycation! Check out the deals at the River House Inn, Old Town Inn and Driftwood Shores Resort: 

For River House Inn and Old Town Inn use the discount code Origins2024. 

• Old Town Inn  - $89.99 + tax
• River House Inn river view rooms – $129.99 + tax 
• River House Inn off river (No View) – $99.99 + tax 
• Call in using the discount code: River House call 541-997-3933 | Old Town call 541-997-7131 

Would you like an ocean view? Driftwood Shores Resort has you covered!  

Make a long weekend of it and book your oceanfront room at Driftwood Shores! Call the hotel at (541) 997-8263 and book two nights at 15% off the regular rate AND get a third night FREE!

Ask for the COZY ON THE COAST special. This special is good through April!

Website Advertising Delivers Messaging to Your Customers

Travel Lane County members may receive a phone call or email from a company called "DTN" in the coming weeks. DTN is a partner of Travel Lane County and has worked with us to develop a unique sponsored content program (DTN Paid Content) on our website that will help you deliver your message in front of a highly qualified visitor audience and to convert more of our visitors into customers.

The DTN Paid Content program offers a variety of content placements (see details on our Placements Sample Page) and programs can be tailored to meet your specific marketing and budget. And the DTN Support team can provide cost-free creative services to get your content running quickly and access to no-nonsense performance reporting via their DTN Portal.

If you're interested, please review their media kit or prepare questions for the DTN team and discuss it with them when they contact you. DTN and MediAmerica are the only two media businesses that will reach out on behalf of Travel Lane County.  

Inclusion & Diversity

Small Dollar Accessibility Improvements Can Pay Big Dividends 

In the visitor industry, we often discuss the economic impact of visitors coming into the destination which in our region totals more than $1 billion annually. What is often overlooked is the investment made by hospitality businesses to update and remodel their facilities. Complete remodeling of a hotel room can cost between $20-$30 thousand dollars and that number increases if public spaces are included in the project. The money invested supports contractors and businesses right here in our community. 

It doesn't, however, require a complete remodel for businesses to improve accessibility. In fact, there are many small improvements that can have big impacts on guests with disabilities. TravelAbility provides, "The Ad Hoc Shopping List for Hotels," which is a list of 13 off-the-shelf items that total less than $1,200.00. 

Making investments in accessibility creates better guest experiences and puts our destination on the map for people with disabilities who are looking for incredible experiences. 

Comprehensive Arts Guide Available Online

Introducing the 2024 Arts Guide by the Arts & Business Alliance of Eugene! Dive into Eugene's dynamic arts scene and connect with over 200 local artists and arts organizations showcased in this year's guide. The ABAE Arts Guide is your gateway to Eugene's vibrant arts scene. There's always something new to discover, from galleries showcasing local talent to theaters buzzing with creativity. Join in and become a part of this thriving artistic community! Whether you're a seasoned art enthusiast or just starting to explore, there's a place for everyone to be inspired and engaged. Take action.

Member News

Juanita Metzler Retiring

Juanita Metzler, Senior Director, Conventions, announced she is retiring in April. She will leave big shoes to fill, having served our conventions and meetings clients for the past 16 years. Juanita and her team have worked hard rebuilding the convention/meetings body of work following Covid and their efforts are paying off. One example is the recently confirmed 2024 Tribal Lands and Environment Forum. 500 attendees will arrive in Eugene-Springfield for this annual gathering of tribal environmental professionals, federal officials, nonprofit staff, and university researchers are involved in the fields of solid waste, Superfund, brownfields, underground storage tanks, emergency response, water quality, and habitat restoration programs. Thank you Juanita! We wish you the very best in retirement.

Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy

Congratulations Megan Temple, Travel Lane County Senior Director of Community and Member Engagement, for completing the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy (OTLA) and to J.B. Carney, Senior Director of the Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports Commission for being selected to the 2024 OTLA class. 

Mereté Hotel Management Promotes Liz Dahlager

Congratulations to Liz Dahlager on being promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Mereté Hotel Management.

Allie Camp Joins Travel Lane County Board

The Travel Lane County board of directors approved the appointment of Allie Camp, City of Springfield Economic Development Manager, to an ex-officio seat on the board. She replaces Neil Laudati, City of Springfield Assistant City Manager.

Bettina Hannigan Graduates 

Bettina Hannigan, president and CEO of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, who also serves as past chairperson for the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce (OSCC) board of directors, recently graduated from the US Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management, a premier four-year nonprofit leadership training program. Bettina also serves as an ex-officio member of the Travel Lane County board of directors. Congratulations Bettina! 

Member Advertising Opportunity

Travel Lane County members receive a variety of benefits and one of these benefits is an opportunity to advertise in Eugene Magazine. Corey Wisun can be reached at Corey@eugenemagazine.com to coordinate your advertising needs. Click here to review the media bundles Corey has put together.

Mason Joins Staff at Lane Events Center

Kelly Mason joined Corey Buller's team at the Lane Events Center. Kelly had most recently been at the University of Oregon and she serves as board president for the Wildish Theater. 

Veneta - Fern Ridge Chamber is Hiring 

The Veneta - Fern Ridge Area Chamber of Commerce is looking for a part-time visitor center coordinator. Contact Staff@venetafernridgechamber.com or call 541.935.8443 for more information.

Action Requested – Oregon Heritage Vitality Survey

The Oregon Heritage Commission is requesting that all those engaged with heritage preservation related work in Oregon please take the 2024 Oregon Heritage Vitality Study survey now open through February 2. Please complete the survey by Friday, February 2. Survey takers will then be entered into a drawing to win free registration for the 2024 Oregon Heritage Conference this April in Forest Grove!

Was Your Business Affected by the Ice Storm?

To determine eligibility for Small Business Administration (SBA) assistance, the SBA is requesting that all financially affected private businesses submit an initial economic damage assessment.

The SBA provides vital support to businesses affected by disasters and economic crises, offering low-interest disaster loans and other forms of assistance to help with recovery and rebuilding efforts. To determine whether our region qualifies for an SBA disaster declaration, the SBA must gather accurate and comprehensive data regarding the economic impact on local businesses.

Please complete the Economic Injury Worksheet (link) by February 2, 2024. On this online form, please select the business option and economic injury for reporting these critical impacts.

Please be assured that all information provided will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and will be used solely to assess the economic impact on our local business community and determine what other programs might qualify to assist with your business needs.

Your prompt cooperation in submitting this initial assessment is crucial in helping us determine the extent of the economic harm suffered by our businesses and the potential need for SBA assistance.This is not a guarantee of loan acceptance or even an SBA declaration. This is to verify our region suffered enough economic loss to request an SBA declaration.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Should you have any questions or require assistance with completing the assessment, please do not hesitate to reach out oem.recovery@oem.oregon.gov.

Weekly Update Sent to Your Inbox

Travel Lane County has a robust events calendar, but sometimes it's hard to remember to go to and look ahead at all the amazing things happening throughout Lane County. Well, we've got you covered with our new What's Happening email. Once a week an email will drop into your inbox and it will highlight a few events taking place in the week ahead. If you want more inspiration, just click through to the full calendar. Sign up today!

The Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports Commission assists local event organizers develop and grow their events and actively markets our region to sports planners throughout the nation. Stay abreast of Sports Commission activities by signing up for this monthly e-newsletter.

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